Diving apparatus



June 19, 1962 F, FOSTER I 3,039,415

DIVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 26, 1959 IN VENTOR FRANZ 'M FOSTER.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent fifice 3,939,415 Patented June 19, 19623,039,415 DIVING APPARATUS Franz M. Foster, Sarasota, Fla. Filed Oct.26, 1959, Ser. No. 848,583 6 Claims. (Cl. 11416) This invention relatesto diving apparatus, and more particularly, to a device which may betowed through the water by a vessel and manipulated by a diver so as tocontrol the vertical and horizontal movements of the diver.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 755,613, filed August 18, 1958, now abandoned.

In recent years, diving for both pleasure and profit has become verywidespread. There is now available simple and relatively inexpensivediving equipment referred to as skin diving equipment, which will permitswimmers to remain submerged for substantial lengths of time. Peoplefrom all walks of life have been attracted to the use of this equipmentin recreational activities, such as spear fishing and observing marinelife forms. This simple equipment also has provided an impetus tocommerical activities which depend upon the discovery and recovery ofsubmerged material, such as treasure.

With the increased popularity of diving, there has come a demand foreffective apparatus to be used in controlling the vertical andhorizontal movements of a diver through the water. Such apparatus mustbe effective to minimize the physical exertion required of the diver,and it also must be inexpensive and easy to use if it is to fit into thegeneral pattern established for skin diving equipment.

Various proposals have been advanced in attempts to meet this demand.One type of direction-controlling apparatus that has received someattention includes a board or sled structure adapted to be towed throughthe water by a power boat and controlled by the diver. When the diverchanges the inclination of a control surface relative to the directionof bodily movement of the sled through the water, a reaction is producedtending to move the apparatus in a new direction. The diver clings tothe apparatus and is carried along with it in the direction establishedby the inclination of the control surface.

The present invention is concerned with apparatus of this type. Itsprimary object is to provide improved apparatus which will beinexpensive to manufacture and which will be easy to use eifectively incontrolling the movements of a diver through the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of this typewhich will have improved steering characteristics in both the verticaland the horizontal directions.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of thistype which may be controlled effectively when grasped either by one handof the diver or by both hands of the diver.

The foregoing objects may be realized, according to a preferredembodiment of the invention, by the provision of a unitary buoyantarticle formed of plastic material. The article includes a main bodyprovided with control surfaces suitable for controlling the verticalmovements of the diver, handles protruding from opposite sides of themain body in position to be grasped by the diver and being provided withmeans for attaching tow ropes to the device, and a keel depending from amid-portion of the body and having a hand grip near its rear edge bywhich the diver may control the inclination of the device with one handwhen necessary. The keel is disposed at approximately right angles tothe main body, and its side faces provide control surfaces by which thesufficient buoyancy to cause the sled 10 to float.

diver may control the horizontal movements of the device.

The body of the apparatus preferably has a concave top surface and asubstantially fiat bottom surface. The concave top surface provides afore-and-aft channel which tends to give a stabilizing eifect as thebody moves through the Water. Moreover, when the front end of the bodyis inclined downwardly, the raised lateral edges of the body, resultingfrom the concave top face, provide control surface by which lateralmovements of the article may be brought about during descent of thearticle. That is to say, these marginal portions of the body may providecontrol surfaces which assist the keel in controlling lateral movementsof the device through the water.

This particular shape of the body also permits the establishment of abeneficial arrangement of buoyancy compartments or spaces within theinterior of the body. The increased thickness of the lateral margins ofthe body makes it possible for the buoyancy to be greater in these zonesthan in the central portions of the unit, so as to increase the overallstability of the unit.

In the under Water environment where the present invention is to beused, it is often difiicult to hold on to moving objects. With this inmind, the various hand grip portions of the article of the presentinvention are so constructed as to minimize slippage. The handlespreferably have rearwardly bowed hand grip portions, and these portionsare grooved on their exterior surfaces. The hand grip in the keel alsois virtually slip proof in that the divers hand actually passes aroundthe rear edge of the keel, the fingers being inserted through an openingadjacent the rear edge and the palm or heel of the hand being disposedagainst the rear edge of the keel itself.

A more complete understanding of the invention, and a betterappreciation of its many advantages, will be gained from a considerationof the following detailed description of certain embodiments illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a divers sled constructed in accordancewith the present invention, the front of the sled being disposed towardthe bottom of the sheet of drawings;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, of the sled ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the sled, taken from the right-handside of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic View suggesting an alternative form of interiorconstruction for the sled; and

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical cross sectional view through a portion of asled constructed in the manner suggested in FIG. 4.

The sled 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings includes a mainbody 12, a keel 14 depending from the main body 12, and a pair ofextensions or handles 16 and 18 projecting laterally from the mainbody12. -It is preferred that the sled 10 be formed of a suitable plasticmaterial and when so formed, the several portions of the sled may beintegral with each other.

The main body 12 of the sled 10 preferably is of the shape illustratedbest in FIGS. 1 and 2. It includes a concave upper face 20 and a fiatlower face 22. This gives the body 12 a relatively thin central portionand relatively thick lateral edge portions. These edge portions areidentified in the drawings by the reference numerals 24 and 26.

The main body 12 preferably is hollow to provide As shown by the brokenaway part of FIG. 2, the thickness of the air space 28 within the body12 is greatest at the 3 marginal edge portions 24 and 26 and at acentral portion adjacent the upper end of the keel 14 of the sled 10.This air space 28 extends generally from front to back of the sled 10,except for the portion 30 thereof that protrudes into the interior ofthe keel 14. This portion 30 terminates inwardly of the device, as shownin FIG. 3.

The keel 14 is generally planar in configuration. Its front edge 32slopes rearwardly and downwardly from a point spaced from the leadingedge of the main body 12 of the sled. Its rear edge 34 also slopesrearwardly and downwardly from the main body 12 of the sled 1i and thetwo edges meet in a smoothly curved line at the bottom. Smooth curves 36also are provided in the zone where the keel 14 joins the main body 12of the sled.

As shown in FIG. 3, the keel 14 is provided with an opening 38 and asmoothly curved hand grip 39 near its rear end. This opening 38 is of asize such that it may accommodate the hand of a diver and permit thediver to hold on to the sled with one hand.

Each of the handles 16 and 18 includes a rearwardly bowed hand grip 40having a grooved outer surface to prevent the hands of the diver fromslipping. It is preferred that the handles 16 and 18 be disposedapproximately along a vertical plane passing through the center ofgravity of the sled 10. This arrangement materially facilitates theguiding operation to be performed by the diver in utilizing the sled 10.

The outer end portion of each of the handles 16 and 18 is provided witha vertical aperture 42 for receiving a tow rope 44, or the like, bywhich the sled 10 may be drawn through the water. In this connection, itis pointed out that the ropes 44 may be components of a conventionalbridle of the type employed by water skiers. The bridle is connected toa cable leading to some powered vessel.

The manner in which the sled 10 is utilized to control the direction ofmovement of a diver through the Water now will be evident. When the sled10 is being towed by a boat, there is relative movement between thewater and the various exterior surface portions of the sled 10. If amajor control surface is inclined relative to the direction of bodilymovement of the sled 10 through the water, reaction forces will bedeveloped tending to swing the sled into some other path.

As an example, let it be assumed that the sled 10 is moving alonghorizontally and that the diver wishes to descend. This may beaccomplished by pivoting the main body 112 of the sled 10 about ahorizontal axis passing through the tow rope holes 42 to a position inwhich the front end of the main body 12 is substantially below the rearend of the main body 12. In this position, the top face is inclinedrelative to the direction of horizontal movement of the sled 1t throughthe water, and a reaction force is established tending to move the wholesled 1% downwardly. by the handles 16 and 18 or by the hand grip opening38 in the keel 14 will be carried down with the sled 10.

During downward movement of the sled 10, the keel 14 loses some of itseffectiveness as a means for controlling the lateral movements of thesled 10. However, the vertical surfaces of the thick marginal edgeportions 24 and 26 of the body 12 are available and are effective whenthe front end of the main body 12 is depressed and the sled 10 isdescending.

When the diver desires to ascend, the procedure is reversed. in thiscase, the front end of the main body 12 is tilted upwardly, so that thebottom surface 22 of the main body 12 becomes available as a controlsurface to produce a lifting force.

The operation of the keel 14 in controlling lateral movements of thesled 10 is very much like that of the rudder of a boat. The majordifference is that the entire sled 10 moves with the keel 14.Nevertheless, the effect is similar in that the surfaces of the keel 14develop reaction forces when they are inclined relative to the directionA diver clinging to the sled 10 either that they close oil? theindividual cells 56.

of bodily movement of the sled 10 through the water. These forcescombine with the towing force to establish a new path for the sled It).

Should the diver ever release the sled 10 while submerged, it willimmediately float to the surface of the Water where it may be recoveredeasily. The appearance of the sled 10 at the surface also providesnotice to the boat operator of the fact that the diver is no longerbeing towed so that appropriate action may be taken.

Another embodiment of the invention is suggested diagrammatically inFIG. 4. It is very similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2and 3, the principal dilference being that the interior of the sled 50of FIG. 4 is cellular in construction.

Over most of the body portion 52 andlhehandle portions 54 of the sled50, the interior is made up of small cells 56 each of which has an areain a horizontal plane of about one quarter of an inch. Similar cells 58are provided in a central portion of the main body 52, but these aresomewhat larger. The area of a typical cell 58 may be about one inch,for example.

FIG. 5 illustrates a plastic construction by which the cells 56 may beformed, and it will be understood that the cells 58 may be formed in asimilar manner. The body 52 and the handles 54 are made up of a lowerskin 60, an upper skin 62, and a multiplicity of longitudinal andtransverse ribs 64 and 66 extending between the upper and lower skins 60and 62.

The ribs 64 and 66 serve two major purposes. First of all, it will beobserved that they result in an egg-crate type of construction. Such aconstruction is very strong for its weight, and it can be expected toWithstand the various strains that are imposed upon diving apparatusduring use. Another purpose of the ribs 64 and 66 is If the sled 50should contact some under water object that would rupture a portion ofits lower skin 60, for example, the cellular construction would preventflooding of the entire interior of the body portion 52 and the handles54. Instead, only those cells 56 or 58 immediately adjacent the point ofrupture would be affected. Thus, the buoyancy of the sled 50 as a wholewould be retained.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in detail, it is obvious that various changes andmodifications will occur to persons skilled in the art. Accordingly, itis intended that the foregoing be considered as exemplary only and thatthe scope of the invention be ascertained from the following claims.

I claim:

'1. Apparatus for use in controlling the movements of a diver throughthe water either above or below the surface comprising a unitary body, akeel having a handle therein and depending from said body, and a pair ofhandles protruding laterally from opposite sides of said body andrigidly secured thereto by which the diver may manipulate said body tocontrol his movement through the water. 7

2. Apparatus for use in controlling the movements of a diver through thewater comprising a rigid, unitary body and a keel depending from saidbody substantially midway between the lateral margins thereof, said keelbeing provided with means for permitting the diver to grip the keel withone hand and thereby to control both the inclination of said bodyrelative to a horizontal plane and the inclination of said keel relativeto a vertical plane.

3. Apparatus for use in controllingthe movements of a diver through theWater either above or below the surface comprising a body having aconcave top surface forming vertical surfaces at both edges of said bodyand a substantially flat bottom surface, and a pair of extensionsprotruding laterally from opposite sides of said body at locationsintermediate the front and rear ends of said body, each of saidextensions being provided with means adapted to permit attachment of atowing element thereto whereby the apparatus may be towed through thewater.

4. Apparatus for use in controlling the movements of a diver through thewater either above or below the surface comprising a buoyant body havinga concave top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, a keeldepending from said body, and a pair of handles protruding laterallyfrom opposite sides of said body at locations intermediate the front andrear ends of said body so that a greater area of said body is disposedforwardly of said handles, each of said handles including a rearwardlybowed hand grip portion having a grooved exterior surface, each of saidhandles also being provided with an opening spaced outwardly from saidhand grip portion adapted to permit attachment of a tow rope thereto.

5. A unitary buoyant plastic article for use in controlling themovements of a diver through the water comprising a body portion havinga concave top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, said bodyportion including a closed air space intermediate said top and bottomsurfaces, said space being of greater depth near the lateral margins ofsaid body than at interior portions thereof, a keel portion dependingfrom said bottom surface midway between the lateral margins of said bodyportion and having a snrall air space in its upper end communicatingwith the air space in said body portion, said keel portion beingprovided with an aperture near the rear end thereof substantially belowthe body portion adapted to enable the diver to grip the keel with onehand, and a pair of handle portions protruding laterally from said bodyportion at locations intermediate the front and rear ends of said bodyportion, each of said handle portions being provided with a hand gripportion and an aperture spaced outwardly from said hand grip portion topermit the attachment of a tow rope thereto.

6. Apparatus for use in controlling the movements of a diver through theWater either below or above the surface of the water, comprising ahorizontally extending body having a concave top surface and verticallyextending surfaces at both edges thereof, a pair of extensionsprotruding laterally from opposite sides of said body at locationsintermediate the front and rear ends of said body, each of saidextensions being provided with means adapted to permit attachment of atowing element thereto whereby the apparatus may be towed through thewater, and means rigid with said body including a hand grip portionsubstantially midway between the lateral margins of said body forpermitting the diver to control the inclination of said body as it isbeing towed through the water.

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